Live Blog: Feb. 7 City Council Meeting

8:45 p.m.: Meeting adjourns.

8:42 p.m.: Resident Kevin Racine speaks about public transportation, and reveals there is a public meeting set up in Perryville Thursday from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

8:37 p.m.: Council President Bill Martin reveals his "next project" after passing Ordinance 924 is to set up a workshop to discuss the implementation of speed cameras in the city.

8:25 p.m.: Councilman Fred Cullum urges citizens to recycle. He mentions that the city will have to raise the quarterly water bills by an estimated $4 to cover for a raise in tipping fees for solid waste. The tipping fee is to grow from $50 per ton to $67 per ton in Harford County, Cullum said. Cullum said recycling can cut back significantly on the costs for the city.

8:17 p.m.: Councilman Mitch Shank reveals Arts by the Bay Gallery has signed a three-year lease, and Scott Wallace has signed a five-year lease for a building in the 300 block of St. John Street to open a custom furniture studio and large gallery.

8:15 p.m.: Amended Ordinance 924 can be found .

8:05 p.m.: Mayor Wayne Doughterty thanks city employees for their efforts during recent storms, saying: "The communication has been second-to-none as far as contacting me to give me an update."

8:03 p.m.: Director of Public Works Larry Parks says the city has spent 1,385 man hours on 21 dates with 21 personnel to battle recent storms. Salt measured at 548 tons at a cost of $35,500 has been spread on city streets. Another 180 tons of salt is awaiting further winter weather.

8:00 p.m.: Director of Planning Neal Mills issued a statement which Patch will publish later this evening in regards to last week's landlord meeting and the comments from some citizens and council members that followed.

7:50 p.m.: Shyla Glassman introduces five special events: Pirate Day 5K Run at the Lock House from 8-10 a.m. on July 9; Annual Children's Art Festival and Contest at Tydings Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 10; HMH Celebration Run through the city from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Sept. 24; 26th Annual Halloween Parade downtown from 6:30-8 p.m. on Oct. 30; Candlelight Tour of Historic Havre de Grace downtown from 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 11.

7:48 p.m.: Ordinance 924 passes with tonight's amendments, 6-0.

7:47 p.m.: Council President Bill Martin—praising the work of everyone involved in Ordinance 924—quotes Sir Edmund Burke, "Evil will always triumph when good men fail to act.”

7:42 p.m.: Shank's amendment carries, 6-0.

7:40 p.m.: Councilman Mitch Shank—as read by Councilman John Correri—proposes an ammendment to Part 10-4 of the ordinance. It's an addition to the ordinance, to read:

C.  Notwithstanding the above requirements, all single family dwellings that do not have an attached garage, and 1) which are equipped with electric only powered appliances for heat, hot water, ventilation and clothes drying, and 2) which are not equipped with any fossil fuel/wood burning devices, is exempt from the requirements regarding carbon monoxide detectors.

7:38 p.m. Council President Bill Martin seeks an ammendment on the following:

B. In addition to the above requirements, landlords of single family dwellings or multifamily dwellings shall equip their buildings with one approved carbon monoxide detector per rental unit per level, including the basement, in a central location.

Martin would like to see "single family dwellings or" eradicated from the ordinance. Motion for amendment carries, 6-0.

7:37 p.m.: is put through a second reading.

7:31 p.m.:  Susquehanna Hose Company Chief Scott Hurst on his push for legislation to mandate carbon monoxide detectors in Havre de Grace residences: "I did this to protect the citizens of Havre de Grace. Unfortunately, all the news stations are filed with it. It’s unfortunate it happened, but it did shed light" on the need for carbon monoxide education.

7:28 p.m.: Public comment section of the agenda opens with resident Bill Watson asking council to consider an amendment to Ordinance 924, exempting single family homes without an attached garage or fossil fuel-burning mechanism.

7:25 p.m.: Councilman Mitch Shank moves for the approval of the reappointment of Sheryl Coleman and Mary Boehly to the Street and Traffic Safety Advisory Board. Council confirms the approval, and their terms will run from today's date through Feb. 7, 2014.  

7:05 p.m.: Mayor Wayne Dougherty recognizes the students of the month: Havre de Grace Elementary School's Bailey Alampi, Meadowvale Elementary School's Liam Maurice, Havre de Grace Middle School's Emma Cassilly and Havre de Grace High School's Katie Bubb.

7:00 p.m.: Meeting begins with all council members and the mayor in attendance.

6:45 p.m.: Welcome to our city council live blog, where we will update the news coming from City Hall as it happens. Check back regularly. We will be adding nuggets of news instantaneously. Feel free to e-mail sean.welsh@patch.com with any questions.

For our council meeting preview, including a PDF file of the agenda, .

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